StarWars. A Lifetime with Darkness. Padawan

[GorMartsen]

There was something wrong with this toydarian.

Standing to the side, I watched the cargo being partially unloaded by droids and tried to put my finger on it.

Blue-ish skin, wings constantly buzzing and flapping as they argued expressively with LB about protocols. The toydarian was as normal as they came.

And yet the Force kept whispering its warnings, translating their anxiety across the docks. But I saw nothing, not a thing that prompted that.

LB and the toydarian finally reached agreement, and droids began to put my cargo back. Seeing a rations pallet placed by the passage between the crates, I nodded to myself. It was what I needed and had waited for. There was no need to make the same mistake twice.

Looking away from the shuttle, I focused back on the toydarian, feeling the same twisting anxiety in the Force.

What were they worrying about? What was the Force trying to tell me?

Closing my eyes, I scanned the shuttle with the Force, but it told me nothing. Whatever the Force was warning me about… it wasn't there.

"Any complaints, Jedi?" the toydarian called me, and I blinked away the images from Force Sight before looking back at the shuttle with my eyes.

The last crate was loaded back onto the shuttle, the ramp was cleared to be closed, and the cargo droids were loading back onto their cargo flyer.

It seemed as if whatever I felt was about nothing.

"LB?" I called the Librarian droid standing by the ramp.

"No complaints, Master," it replied shortly. "Everything is satisfactory to the protocols."

Hm…

"Contract is closed, then," I said, looking back at the hovering toydarian with a smile. It felt fake on my strained face.

The toydarian simply nodded to me and flew back to their flyer, buzzing with their wings. Watching them board their transport, I kept feeling the well-hidden anxiety in the Force.

And I had no idea what it was about.

As the cargo flyer whined with repulsors and shot out of the dock, I looked back at the shuttle and the crates of medical supplies peeking through the open ramp, and sighed.

Whatever it was, I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with me, but I had a bad feeling about it.

"LB, stay on board and contact me if anything happens. Is that clear?" I asked.

"Yes, Master," it replied and immediately walked up the ramp onto the shuttle.

Raising my left arm, I brought the wrist-comm up and punched the master code, closing the ramp and sealing the shuttle. Whatever it was, I still had a supply run to make. I just had to be quick about it.

—

Leaving the automated cab in the heart of any space station—the Market—I looked around in wonder. A fountain at the entrance, transparent walls, cooled air hitting me in the face, and floating neon signs. It looked like an oversized shopping centre, busy with beings walking and talking from shop to shop.

Based on my memories—my Taren memories—there was always one on any station. I came across many of those during my missions with my Master, but we rarely spent time on them, and if not for James's memories, I might have felt overwhelmed.

The cab beeped in binary, slamming the door shut and lifting away, screaming with repulsors. The air rushed past me, flapping my cloak, and I stopped gathering dust and gazes.

Walking around the fountain and eyeing the entrance into the canteen, I recalled what I needed. A spare comm, clothes, travel utensils, caf…

The subtle aroma reached my nose, and I stopped, looking around. There was an outdoor cafe, a stall with a few tables, run by a droid with orange strips across its body.

Caf.

Changing direction, I passed by the tables, most of them taken, and stopped at the counter. The holographic menu blinked, changing to today's specials, but my eyes were on the caf.

"Greetings. What can I have for you?" a droid behind the counter greeted me, blinking with its glowing blue photoreceptors.

"Corellian caf," I said, looking away from the menu. "Just caf, no sugar, no milk. To go."

"Could I interest you in our pastries? We have fresh buns with goldfruit honey," the droid said, gesturing to the once again changed menu, and I barely suppressed a shiver down my spine.

"No, thank you," I said with a strained smile. "But I'll have a Ronto wrap."

"One moment, please," the droid replied, turning towards the caf machine.

Leaning on the counter, I slowly inhaled and exhaled. Since the fight with that crazy ex-guard, I hadn't had any episodes with the Dark Side. And yet, even the hint of the sweet taste was making me sweat.

"Your caf," called the droid, and I accepted the cup. It burned against my palm, and I quickly wrapped it in the Force.

That fight changed something in my relationship with the Force, too. The heat manipulation became so natural, so easy to me.

"Thanks," I said and slowly sipped from the cup, watching the droid work on my wrap. The tart taste hit me, leaving an aftertaste, and I smiled with ease.

That was wizard.

The droid worked meticulously, adding meat to a bed of red salad on the bread, making me gulp at the spicy aroma. I already felt it burning in my mouth. In no time, the wrap was ready, and the droid handed it to me, neatly wrapped.

Nodding to the droid, I accepted the wrap and tapped the chip against the reader. It beeped, showing approval. Minus 5 credits.

"Do you know where I can buy caf in bulk?" I asked, tearing away the top of the wrapper.

"A-34," the droid replied, handing me a piece of flimsi.

Supplies for spacers from J&J. 5% discount card.

Neat.

Hiding it in the waist pocket, I bit into the wrap and moaned. The spice was strong, the meat slightly rubbery, but it was heavenly food to me.

"Thanks," I said after a few bites, picking up my cup of caf.

Biting once again, I turned around and walked away from the stall, easily manoeuvring between the tables.

The caf was great. The wrap even better. Now, just a quick shopping and I would hit the road again.

I had better enjoy myself until then.

—

Checking a map on wrist-comm, I looked up at the shop before me. That was the right place, A-34, located a bit off the main alley. It looked a bit suspicious, especially with heavy armoured shutters hanging half-raised above the transparent wall in an almost empty hall.

Weird.

Passing through the automated door, I looked around at the store's quite common layout. Racks of products, bright lights, and a shuttle picture along the far wall.

It wasn't empty either. Quite a few customers walked along the racks, easing my suspicions, and a store assistant stood by the door, a female twi'lek dressed quite revealingly.

"Welcome to J&J. Supplies for spacers. How may I help you?" she greeted me with a warm smile.

"I hope so," I said, smiling back. "I need Corellian caf in bulk, travel bag, utensils, spare comm, clothes."

"Take a seat," she said, gesturing towards a soft corner I had not noticed before. "I will personally ensure your needs are met, Master Jedi."

"It's Jedi Knight, Knight Lose," I objected, feeling uncomfortable with this special treatment.

"Of course, Jedi Knight," she said with a smile, somehow already holding me under my arm and guiding me to the sofa. "Would you be interested in sampling the caf before buying it?"

The subtle aroma of her perfume reached me, and my heart began beating faster.

"Only if you can find me the same perfume you wear, for my heart's interest, and one to match for myself," I replied, pausing by the sofa.

"Oh, of course," she beamed, subtly shifting her posture, becoming more innocent. "Do you know her species?"

"I am actually not sure," I said, finally lowering myself on the sofa. "Never asked, but I think it's theelin."

"What a treasure," she beamed at me, clapping her hands together and taking a seat in front of me. "Red, pink, or purple?"

The girl was more than just a look.

"Purple, but why does it matter?" I asked, leaning forward.

"It matters greatly," she replied, leaning forward and lowering her voice. "Theelin's natural scent is closely linked to the colour of their skin and horns."

"Horns?" I asked, realising I had never seen horns in R'ana's vividly green hair. Did she hide it somehow?

"Yes, of course! For example, a purple theelin has a gentle, natural musk. Any perfume with musk will amplify it, creating sometimes unbearable combinations. So we need something based on tree oil, perhaps even Alderaan chinar tree. But if their horns reached a mature stage, their musk scent would be greatly subdued, which opens up other possibilities. Are their horns fully developed?"

"It's her, and no, I didn't see any horns," I said, trying and failing to find any hints.

But a strong, sweet and sticky fear, mixed with something else in the Force, shook me out of the memories, and I looked at the Twi'lek before me. She hid it well, but I felt it. She was afraid of me. Afraid and felt disgusted.

Horns, of course. Maturity.

"She is older than me, I think," I replied, feeling really awkward. "A healer in the Temple."

"I am sorry for assuming, Master Jedi," she said, jumping to her feet and bowing deeply. "If you wish, I will report to my employer to be punished for my unbecoming conduct."

"Please, sit," I said, standing up and gently touching her elbows to calm her with the Force before lowering her back onto the sofa. "No need for such drastic measures."

She let me, but the fear in the Force didn't go away, and she wasn't hiding it anymore on her face.

"I didn't read your mind," I added as gently as I could, "I just felt your disgust in the Force."

"Promise?" she asked, blooming with hope.

"Promise," I said with a nod and sombre face.

"Alright," she smiled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "If she has no horns, does she have a tail? Are her feet hooved?"

"I… don't know," I drawled out.

Hooves?

—

Holding a fancy bottle in my hands, its open cap to my nose, I tried to imagine R'ana wearing this perfume. And yet, the thoughts about her having hooves just wouldn't leave me.

Something to come to terms with later.

"I like it," I finally said to the patiently waiting shop assistant.

"Great, then I suggest this one for you. Together they fit nicely," she said, showing me a different perfume on her datapad, leaning over.

Now feeling more comfortable around me, her playful nature came forward, and if I didn't know better, I would think she was flirting with me.

"I trust your judgement," I replied, noticing the time. "Also, could we speed up other purchases? I have to leave soon."

"Of Course, Knight Lose," she beamed and began typing on her datapad. "Corellian caf in bulk, travel bag, utensils, spare comm, right?"

"Clothes too," I said, calmly watching her.

She was in her element and clearly remembered what I had said when I first came into the store.

"We don't sell Jedi robes," she said, looking up from the datapad. "Only civilian clothes and pilot overalls. Space-grade, with up to five hours of oxygen or another breathing mixture."

"Do you have leather jackets?" I asked, recalling my favourite jacket I left on the base before that fateful mission.

"Bantha, nerf or dewback?" she asked, showing no surprise at my request.

"Nerf," I said.

"Like this?" she asked, turning her datapad towards me again and showing me something almost identical to my pilot leather jacket.

"Yes, I like it. Add a pair of trousers from sturdy fabric and leather boots, and I am set," I said, smiling. "Do you need my sizes?"

"Already got them!" she beamed, typing again. "We have a scanner at the entrance."

Slowly nodding, I eased into the sofa. The service was above and beyond anything I had ever experienced before, back on Earth as James, or as Taren here. Heck, even the scanner at the entrance was something that had never crossed my mind, but made total sense.

Way to make a customer service personal.

"Done! Your order will be here in a few minutes, already packed for travel," she said, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I realised I had never asked her name.

Nor had I seen a badge.

"What is your name?" I asked, reaching for the credit chip. "I can leave a tip under your name, right?"

The fear spiked in the Force again, and I looked at her with a silent question. She looked back at me as innocent as ever.

"Of course, Master Jedi, I feel honoured."

A lie.

Tapping my index finger against the chip in my hand, I tried to understand what it was about. Why she lied to me.

"You are from Ryloth," I said, tilting my head. "It's where I go. Do you wish to pass a message to someone?"

"No need, Master Jedi," she replied with a bow, but hope again blossomed in the Force. "I send messages regularly."

Lie again.

"I will leave from Dock D-09 in two hours if you change your mind," I said, handing her the chip and discount card.

"I wish you safe travels, Master Jedi," she replied, accepting the chip and basking me in waves of gratitude.

Curious.

Beep-beep

Looking on my left, I saw a… suitcase. A droid suitcase with flashing orange lights.

"This is our latest model, self-propelling luggage. It has an anti-shieff system, a tracking beacon and basic intelligence that will come in handy in your travels, Knight Lose," she said, handing me my chip back. "Thank you for shopping with J&J. The best supplies for travellers."

—

Walking out of the store, I nodded to the twi'lek woman who still didn't give me her name. She bowed deeply, repeating her sales pitch, but in the Force I felt anticipation.

There was something going on, and I didn't feel like passing by, pretending to see nothing.

Two hours.

Leaving the hall leading to the store, I turned around to glance at the lonely shop there. The place for the shop was strange, too. Out of the main shopping zone, yet with a droid handing out discount cards at the food stall that led me here.

It could be nothing, and yet…

Shaking off the thoughts, I left the empty hall with my suitcase in tow. At least I got what I wanted before getting into trouble, and if not for this development, I would just grab a bottle of Corellian from the gift shop and be gone already.

Right, Corellian.

Glancing around, I spotted the gift shop and changed my course, the suitcase beeping angrily behind me. This universe was weird.

Instinctively glancing up, I spotted the same toydarian who had helped me with cargo. They were watching me from across the plaza, hovering next to the canteen. I nodded to them before continuing on my way to the gift shop, again having a bad feeling.

How long were they watching me, or was it a coincidence? I was beginning to think it was not.

The gift shop door automatically opened before me, and I waited for my suitcase to catch up before entering.

Something to think about, but first I needed a bottle of Corellian brandy.

 

[GorMartsen]

Two hours flew by.

Sitting on the open ramp with a cup of caf in my hand, I watched the left-open main gate. The twi'lek woman didn't have the access code, as the toydarian did, and I wasn't about to create unnecessary obstacles, especially if she had to sneak around.

Which I expected was the case. I honestly didn't know what her deal was. What any of this meant. I just answered a call for help, even if not directly spelt out.

The hooded silhouette peeked into the dock and, finding me watching them, hurried inside. Recognising the twi'lek woman, I rose to my feet, leaving the cup of caf on the ramp end.

"Sorry for being late," she panted, stopping not far from me. Had she run all the way here?

"Don't worry about it. Let's go on the shuttle, and you will tell me everything over a cup of caf," I proposed, already half turning.

"No. No time," she said, reaching under the cloak and presenting me a small pouch. "Please, use this money to buy out my daughter's contract. Taala'Rooshan."

Blankly staring at her extended arm, I felt out of my depth. It wasn't what I had expected.

"She is almost of age, and I am afraid for her fate. She is a good mechanic, I promise!" she added in a rush, pushing the pouch into my hands.

"Buy out a contract?" I asked, feeling the heavy pouch in my hand. "Clan Rooshan?"

The fuck is this?

"Yes!" she breathed out, almost knocking me out with the strong sense of hope in the Force that quickly changed to longing. "Tell her I am fine, and not to look for me."

"What is your name?" I asked, catching her hand. I felt it. It was important.

"No one," she said, gently withdrawing her hand from mine and stepping back. "From nowhere."

No one from nowhere. A clan outcast.

"But before you go, you must know—"

"Wretched woman, that's how you paid me for all I did for you? By stealing?" the toydarian said, gliding into the dock and catching both of us off guard.

"I didn't steal," the twi'lek woman replied, spinning around. "I earned every credit for the hours worked!"

"Your contract is mine. Each credit is mine, too," the toydarian said, slowly drifting closer. "Stealing is a breach of contract. Give me my money, Jedi."

The ugly feeling of dying hope filled the Force, almost suffocating me, and I looked down at the pouch in my hand.

How many credits could broken hope cost?

"I could perhaps buy out your daughter's contract with it," said the toydarian, feeling smug.

"No…" whispered the twi'lek woman, collapsing on the floor, and the Force hit me with despair. "No…"

"It's your fault. If you had thought about the consequences first, none of it would have happened," the toydarian continued, and I had had enough of it.

"Get out," I said through my clenched teeth, boiling cold.

"I will, Jedi. Let me grab my property first," they said, smiling nastily and grabbing the twi'lek woman by the hood, and her eyes met mine, stretching the moment to no end.

"Totto tagged your ship," she said in an almost hysterical voice. "He deals with Hutts."

In slow motion, I saw the toydarian fishing out a small blaster from one of his waist pockets. He raised it inch by inch, but instead of targeting me, the blaster inevitably moved towards the twi'lek's head, and I moved.

Short jump, a hiss of my lightsaber, and the toydarian's hand with the blaster, the cut-off wings, and his still-living body fell to the floor in messy heaps.

The smell of burned flesh filled the docks, and I turned around to face Totto, or what I had left of him.

"What did you do, Jedi?" hissed the toydarian, clutching the stump of his right arm. "You can't do that!"

Deactivating my sabre, I sighed and massaged my face.

"Totto, was it?" I asked. "I thought your name was Jack?"

"I won it fairly, Jedi. It's mine," he grumbled, looking at his stump. "You will pay for this, Jedi."

The Force screamed a warning as Totto pushed something on the vambrace sitting above the stump, and I wrapped myself in the Force, looking for the source of danger. It was inside my robes.

Something exploded there, wrapping me in a cloud of green gas, and I held my breath, blindly searching for the breather in a pocket at my waist.

Smart.

Stepping out of the cloud, I found Totto halfway to the main gate, wobbling on his unsteady feet. A short jump and I was next to him, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him back to the floor.

"Not that fast," I said around the breather. "We didn't finish there."

But even now, he didn't look scared, and most annoyingly, I felt nothing of his emotions in the Force.

"Who do you work with?" I pushed with the Force, waving my hand.

"Mind tricks don't work on me, Jedi," Totto said with an ugly smile.

Right.

My wrist-comm buzzed, and I glanced at it. There was a message.

Unknown sender: [ You butted in on my operation, Knight Lose ]

I glanced back at Totto and the twi'lek, lying on the floor, unconscious, and my wrist-comm buzzed again.

Unknown sender: [ But I can use it. Call Judicals, pass Totto to them and leave. I will pick up from here ]

Jedi Lose: [ Who are you? ]

And where?

The dock bloomed in the Force Sight, and I saw a subdued Force signature, clinging to the ceiling. There was something familiar about it, but who was it?

Unknown sender: [ wink wink ]

As I looked at the new message, the Force shone in a way all younglings knew. Pay attention.

Jedi Lose: [ What about the twi'lek? What would happen to her? ]

Unknown sender: [ What, you laid your eyes on her? ]

It was weird and inappropriate, and quite too personal.

No waaay.

Jedi Lose: [ I will shoot you ]

Unknown sender: [ All talk, no bite. Fine. Just convince Totto to hand over her contract to you, and get out of my hair ]

No fucking way.

Jedi Lose: [ Watch me ]

Glancing at Totto, looking at me strangely, I opened my tattered robes and reached for the old blaster. Or what was left of it.

"You planned this, didn't you?" I said, dropping the wreck of the blaster on the floor and summoning the smaller one from where it lay with Totto's hand still attached.

"I know nothing about it," Totto said, eyeing his own hand as I peeled it off the blaster's handle, finger by finger.

"I think you owe me a hundred wupiupi," I said, dropping the hand and raising the blaster. "And a fine."

"You have no proof," Totto said, looking into the barrel. "You can't do it."

I shot the blaster into the air, missing the hidden Jedi on the ceiling by an inch.

"How sure are you?" I asked, smiling nastily.

"Take the pouch; it should be enough," Totto said, jerking his head towards the pouch I had dropped on the floor beside the twi'lek woman.

"Not yours," I said, shaking my head and levelling the blaster at Totto's feet. "Left or right?"

"The blaster! It's worth more than the old one!" Totto said more urgently, angling away from me as my wrist-comm vibrated again.

"Better. And the fine?" I said, aiming at the healthy arm.

"I don't have any credits on me!" Totto pleaded, and I believed him, almost. But it wasn't money I was looking for.

"Her contract, and I'll leave you to the Judicals," I said, glancing at the wrist-comm.

Unknown sender: [ Taren, you bastard! You almost shot me! ]

Taren.

"You have a deal, Jedi," drawled unhappy Totto, but I saw the hidden gleam in his eyes.

Oh, Totto was in for a surprise.

I doubted Tey, the fierce red togruta I knew quite well from a certain perspective, was hanging out here for no reason.

 

[GorMartsen]

I didn't like the way he looked at me, with that ugly smile on his twisted face.

… Let me grab my property first

Totto's words echoed in my mind unprompted as I was lowering the blaster.

Perhaps losing wings and a hand wasn't enough. Perhaps he needed a stronger lesson.

… Teach him a lesson

"Call Judicals, Jedi," Totto said, watching as the blaster was once again pointed at his healthy arm.

Surely he didn't need his arms, both of them.

"I agreed to your terms," he said, trying to hide the arm behind his back.

"Did you now?" I asked as I pointed at his left foot, and a smile twisted my lips. That would be a nice symmetry with his missing right hand.

… He deserves it.

Someone hugged me from behind, pressing hard against my back.

Tey.

"That's enough, Taren," she whispered in my ear, gently pressing my arm with the blaster down. "Breathe."

"Yes, Jedi!" Totto exclaimed. "The contract is yours!"

Looking into Totto's eyes, I didn't see a hidden gleam, nor an ugly smile. Only a face twisted by pain as he tried to scramble back. And I liked it. I liked it as much as the perky chest pressing into my back.

The desire to turn around, to tear her robes off, and press her hard against the wall hit me, together with memories from the shower. With all we did there.

"Call Judicals," she whispered, laced in the Force with passion, and I nodded.

Raising my left arm, I punched in the emergency line frequency code and put my wrist-comm on speaker.

"Duty officer Tenge. State your emergency," a deep male voice said almost immediately.

"This is Jedi Knight Lose. I have apprehended a suspect at dock D-09, station Z-7. I wish to hand him over to your jurisdiction," I said, feeling a warm breath on my neck and a pleasant shiver down my spine.

"Dock D-09, station Z-07. Sending closest patrol shuttle. ETA one minute. Do you need medical assistance?" the officer asked.

"Suspect is in rough shape, but no life-threatening wounds," I said, feeling Tey's hand on my chest, slowly sliding down.

"Roger that. Is there anything else I can help you with, Jedi Knight Lose?" the officer asked.

"No, that would be all. Thank you, officer," I replied, hanging up the call and covering her hand with mine on my stomach.

"Just wait a bit," she whispered, pressing hard against my back, blocking me from turning. "Soon."

There was a promise in her words, in the Force, but before I forced myself out of her hold to turn around, the dock was filled with repulsors' whining.

Judicals had arrived.

Their smaller shuttle landed next to mine, fitting into the dock with no issues, and the side door slid open, revealing two officers in uniform. They jumped out and rushed towards me, glancing around.

"I'll wait on your shuttle," Tey said, and I immediately missed her warm embrace.

"Jedi Knight Lose?" asked the older officer coming closer, while the younger one went to Totto, but neither of them looked towards Tey, retreating to the shuttle.

"Yes, that would be me," I said with a strained smile, and nodded towards Totto. "Before you take him away, I need him to transfer a contract."

"What kind of a contract?" the officer asked, looking over his shoulder. "Totto Jack?"

Totto only glared back, said nothing, as the younger officer patted him down.

"What are the alleged offences?" the older officer asked, turning back to me.

What indeed.

My comm buzzed, and I looked at the screen, blinking with a new message.

Unknown sender: [ Bring him here ]

"Please, follow me," I said, turning towards my shuttle, and my eyes fell on the twi'lek woman lying on the floor, completely hidden under her black cloak.

How did I forget about her?

Stepping closer, I bent over and, pulling back the hood, pressed my finger to her neck. The pulse was strong, and her breathing was deep.

Sedated.

Scooping her up, I stood, and she felt almost weightless in my arms.

"This way," I said to the officer over my shoulder. He looked worried.

Walking up to the ramp, I began to climb it, looking up. There was LB waiting for me at the top.

"Master Lose, I must object—" the droid began as I came closer.

"Later, LB. Here, accommodate our guest in the crew quarters and make sure she is comfortable," I said, pushing the twi'lek woman into the droid's arms.

"As you wish, Master," LB replied, carefully turning around and walking deep into the shuttle.

"Follow me," I said, stepping between the crates and following the droid myself. We didn't need to go too far.

I found Tey levitating crates there as LB squeezed past her.

"Captain Gandmer," she said, glancing at the officer behind me and then nodding towards the floor under the crate in her Force grip. "Take a look."

"Master Tin," he greeted her, squeezing past me and squatting beside the levitated crate. "It seems you finally found your lead."

They know each other.

"Yes, and now I need you to hold Totto on questionable charges," she said.

"Want to see who will pull strings to free him?" he asked, glancing up at her.

"That too," she said, levitating a strange-looking device and gently landing the crate back.

"What is it?" I asked. I had scanned the shuttle when it was reloaded, and I felt nothing dangerous. But I felt something was wrong.

"That is a false hyperspace beacon," said Tey, scooping it from the air. "In the right place and at the right time, it will broadcast its signal, and the navcomm will drop the ship out of hyperspace."

"He planted a sleeping agent in my old blaster's gas cartridge," I said slowly. "That's how they planned to neutralise me."

"Where is it?" asked the officer, standing up and looking at me. "Should be a good enough reason."

"He already used it against me," I said, smiling nastily. "Didn't help him much."

Tey glanced at me worriedly before resting her hand on my shoulder, and I felt desire shooting through my body.

"Captain Gandmer, I count on you," she said, looking back at him.

"I will take care of it," he said with a nod. "It's even better that it was used."

"The contract," she said, looking back at me. "Take care of that and come back, Jedi Knight Lose. We have something to discuss."

"Of course, Master Tin," I said with a dry mouth and turned around.

The contract. I had almost forgotten about it.

I marched out of the cargo bay, hearing the officer's footsteps behind me. Briefly glancing towards Totto, now sporting bright orange medical gel over the stump, I walked to the old blaster on the floor and pointed at it.

"That would do," Captain Gandmer said, passing me and crouching by the blaster, fishing out a black bag from his belt. "Ten years of mines. Hear me, Totto? Ten years."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Captain," he grumbled.

"Suuuure," Captain said, standing up and showing the bag. "Surely you don't."

"The contract," I said, glancing back at my shuttle. "I am on a tight schedule."

"Hear, Totto? Let's not keep the Jedi Knight waiting," Captain Gandmer said, reaching for something on his belt. "What is the contract registry number?"

—

"What a piece of shite," said Captain Gandmer, approving the contract transfer and handing me the datapad. "I hope you get to the bottom of it. Let me know if I can help."

"Of course," I said, accepting the datapad.

"Well, then, I'll drop a message when I am done," he said, glancing towards my shuttle.

I glanced towards it, too. Feeling anticipation. Soon.

"By your leave, Jedi Knight Lose," said the Captain, weirdly reminding me of my past, and I silently saluted him with two fingers.

He nodded sharply and, turning, jogged back to their shuttle and jumped on board. The shuttle lifted into the air as soon as the door slid shut behind him and was out of the dock with the whine of the repulsors.

Watching the Judical's shuttle leave the dock, I clipped the datapad containing the transferred contract to my waist. But that wasn't what was on my mind. Turning, I walked towards my shuttle, thinking about one specific red togruta, and the things that were about to happen.

Running up the ramp, I entered the cargo bay and saw her, waiting by the airlock. She pushed something on the control panel, and the ramp behind me began to close. Someone was in a hurry too.

"Come here," she said in a low, lusty voice as her robes fell to the ground, revealing a tight-fitting tunic beneath, and she began to untie her belt.

She didn't need to wait long.

—

Lying on the floor on top of our robes, staring at the cargo bay ceiling, I felt guilty.

"What is so heavy on your mind?" asked Tey and blew at my neck, tickling a sensitive spot where my Padawan braid had been before.

R'ana.

"Who is R'ana?" Tey asked, and I closed my eyes, exhaling heavily.

The hell.

"I don't read your mind," she said, echoing the words I had said to the twi'lek woman not long ago. "You just think too loudly. So who is she?"

This is fucking weird.

"A Padawan? You know, it's frowned upon, right?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow, and, against my will, my eyes travelled down her lek and onto her perky chest.

"My eyes are here," she said, grabbing my chin and lifting it slightly.

"It didn't stop you back then, in the shower," I said, looking into her deep black eyes and trying to ignore her naked body pressing against mine.

"I didn't know," she said, searching something in my eyes.

"Padawan braid," I said. "I had a padawan braid. How could you miss it?"

"My eyes were on something else," she said, letting go of my chin and lying on my chest, her lekku softly tickling my skin. "And you don't act like a Padawan. Now, spill."

Groaning, I rested my head on the floor and looked up at the ceiling. Never in my life had I been in such a situation. I felt like a fraud.

What did I think about?

"A love interest," I confessed, "and I don't understand how I forgot about it."

"Ah," she said, tracing a finger across my chest. "Is she pretty?"

"Really?" I said, looking back at her with raised eyebrows. "Is that all that worries you?"

"No, not really," she replied with a shrug. "But her well-being does."

"What do you mean?" I asked, not really following.

"Back there," she began, jerking her head towards the ramp, "you mutilated that toydarian. Tomorrow, it might be her," she continued, staring into my eyes without humour. "And I will not be around to pull you away from the edge."

"Is that what you call it?" I said, dropping my head on the floor and closing my eyes. Her words worried me.

I would never…

"Pretty much," she said, and I felt her shrug.

Somehow it made me feel even worse. Did she just fuck me to put my head straight? Not even a fling?

"The Dark Side is tricky," she said in a distant voice, and I froze, opening my eyes wide.

Only now, when she had said it aloud, I realised how twisted my mind had been since the moment I attacked Totto. Until—

"If not for learning to channel it into sex, I would have Fallen long ago," she added after a pause.

Oh, fuck.

"It couldn't be that easy," I said, recalling what had happened when I meditated on the Living Force.

"It's not, and it wasn't," she agreed. "But I was lucky enough to find a way."

"You were under the Dark Side's influence, too," I said, realising what I had been missing. "And back then, in the shower, too. Right?"

"You see, that's what I was talking about. Not a Padawan," she said humorously, shifting against my chest.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, lifting my head and catching her gaze.

"Because you need help," she said seriously, all humour gone from her tone. "Does anyone know about it?"

"I had been subjected to the Dark Side mind-trick. It should be in my medical file, or whatever," I said, lying back again.

"But did you tell anyone about your episodes?" she pressed, and I realised that the answer was no, I never had.

Not about my visions, nor about what had happened with the artefact the second time, and only what had happened in the hangar I had put in my report.

"I thought it was all left behind," I said.

And it was; only bad dreams had worried me. Until Totto.

"It never is," she said, sighing and resting her chin on her hand atop my chest. "It will sneak up on you, justifying violence. Amplifying your righteousness, turning it into anger, twisting your desires. And one day your mental shields will fall, and you with them."

They weren't the words of someone who had read them in a book, I realised. She clearly had a history with the Dark Side.

"How do you do it?" I asked, and she looked back into my eyes, searching for something as time stretched.

"I pull it in, channel it into passion," she said with a sigh, beginning to trace my chest with the other hand. "And then release it back into the Force when orgasm hits me."

"That's why clarity hit me only afterwards," I said. "It wasn't just the usual post-sex comedown."

"We have good compatibility," she mumbled, resting her forehead on her hand. But before I asked what she meant, her comm beeped.

"Shit, I have to go," she said, scrambling off my body and reaching for the comm.

Trying not to watch her dress, I turned around, looking for my own pants, or at least trousers.

"Listen, Taren," she began, shuffling with her clothes behind me. "Try to finish your mission without getting into trouble, meditate, and we'll talk afterwards," she continued, pulling her robes from under my foot. "I will try to be back in the Temple by then. If not, wait for me. You shouldn't be doing missions in your state."

"I'll try," I said, pulling the tunic over my head.

"Good. And don't try to repeat what I did," she said, resting her hand on my shoulder. "Promise."

Looking over my shoulder, I found her already dressed, her robes lazily draped over her shoulders, but it was her serious look that made me agree.

"Alright, no trying to repeat it," I promised, meeting her gaze. She searched my eyes for a moment, biting her lip.

"Good," she finally said, slamming her hand on the control panel and opening the ramp. "May the Force be with you, Jedi Knight Lose."

"And with you, Master Tin," I said, feeling strangely sad.

She stepped closer and planted a quick kiss on my lips, slightly biting, and hurried to the ramp. I watched her go, leaning on the crate. Whatever had just happened, it was no longer just a fling.

Reaching the exit, she turned her head slightly, her lekku waving, and I caught a glimpse of a smile on her face.

But if it wasn't that, what was it? And what about R'ana?

 

[GorMartsen]

The stars stretched across the viewport, forming a hyperspace tunnel, and I breathed out in relief, kicking back in the pilot's seat with my eyes closed.

I knew I had to go and check on the twi'lek woman, sleeping in the crew quarters, but I felt spent.

Spent and worried.

Tey with her warning, Totto's twisted face, and R'anna cycled through my mind, and I knew. I fucked up big this time.

I didn't even notice how I shifted from being willing to help the twi'lek woman to tearing into Totto. Or believing that I was in the right.

And the worst of it? I enjoyed it all.

And why didn't I feel the sweet and sticky?

Massaging my tired eyes, I sighed. I was fucked up.

I had no idea what to do. Or how to react to what Tey did. Whatever her technique was, no matter how effectively it had worked, it didn't look like something stable, or even healthy. I doubted it was simple, either.

Meditate, I need to meditate.

Opening my eyes, I reached over to the second seat and picked up the datapad, holding the twi'lek woman's contract.

I remembered skimming over it before signing it, but in that state my mind was on something else. And drunk. Yeah, as if I'd had a few shots of brandy. Brave, easy-going, and stupid-horny. Grimacing, I opened the file, searching for the woman's name on the page.

Then a bit more, flipping back and forth.

But her name was never mentioned. Anything but her name. Member 892-3812 of the Clan Rooshan. Contracted Labourer. Born on the fifteenth day of Elona `155 CRC.

The fuck.

Flipping to the table of contents, I looked for the Termination clause—page forty. Tapping on it, I began reading it.

… terminated at the discretion of the Contractor or the Head of the Clan under whose authority the Contract has been issued

… Where circumstances arise which the Contracted Labourer deems sufficient to warrant termination, the Contracted Labourer may submit an appeal to the Office of the Clan Head for consideration

… Until such determination is issued, all terms and obligations of this Contract shall remain in full force and effect.

Feeling a headache building, I closed my eyes and massaged them again. In no way was I good enough in legalese to understand all of this, but it didn't seem right.

Tey knew something about this.

Tey. Master Tin. The red togruta I first met in the Healing Halls shower. And had sex with. Twice now. The one I was sure was avoiding me, but apparently she was on a mission on Corellia, of all places.

What a coincidence.

It was also her idea to convince Totto to hand over the contract. Not terminate. Transfer. Even when I was impaired, not really caring about the twi'lek woman any longer, she made sure I did it.

Why?

There was something going on, but what? Totto planting a hyperspace beacon on my shuttle, Tey clearly watching him, Hutts. Smuggling? Piracy? Slave trade? All of that together?

Fuck if I knew.

Rubbing my face, I exhaled heavily, releasing my worries into the Force, and, feeling lighter, focused on the current moment.

First things first.

Checking the shuttle readings for the last time, I locked the dashboard and rose to my feet. I had a guest to check on, luggage to sort out and a kitchen to prepare.

And meditate.

Plenty to do before the next exit in the Denon system in about fifteen hours.

—

Walking into the cargo bay, I flipped the lights on, and the heavy scent of sex hit my nose.

Turning to the panel, I checked the settings, but there was no option to force-cycle the air, and venting the atmosphere into space was a bit drastic.

"Come, LB," I said, accepting defeat and walking further between the crates. Perhaps it would go away on its own, with time.

"Yes, Master," LB said, clanging with his feet behind me.

The juicy, spicy wrap I had eaten on the station had long since been absorbed, and I simply wanted to eat more. But going into the cargo bay each time I wanted to eat was just stupid, and moving some rations into the common room was just common sense.

I just didn't plan to do it on my own.

Finding the needed crate with rations, I lifted it, enhancing myself with the Force, and lowered it on the floor.

It was a bit heavy, about a hundred pounds, and made of plastoid and weathered by time. Releasing the locks, I lifted the lid, tearing off the seal.

The neat rows of ration packages greeted me, promising dinner, and I picked up one. Flipping it in my hand, I leaned closer to the light falling from above, partially blocked by the crates, and looked at the marking.

"Yellow strip means for near-human species," commented LB at my side.

Finding a togruta and bantha outline printed on the yellow strip, I nodded to myself. A meat-only package.

That was simple.

Putting it into LB's arms, I looked for another one with a yellow strip but different outlines.

A leaf, a togruta, a leaf again.

While not exactly what I needed, I still picked up a few of those and piled them into LB's arms.

Aha!

A leaf and a bantha. What I had been looking for.

Taking a few more of those, I added them to the pile in LB's arms. The more, the merrier.

"Let's go back," I said, closing the crate.

Then the idea hit me, and I stepped back, studying the crate.

Levitation had never been my forte before, but I hadn't tried it again after everything that had happened to me.

Extending my arm, I imagined it wrapped by my attention, almost feeling it in my hand. This part was easy, but the lifting had never been.

Exhaling, I lifted my arm slightly and the crate lifted into the air, smoothly and without slipping out of my grip.

Neat.

Levitating it back to its place, I gently set it down, releasing my grip, and smiled, breathing out. At least something good.

Testing how well it sat in its place, I nodded to myself and, stepping around the droid, began walking towards the airlock leading out of the cargo bay. LB followed me silently, carrying the rations in his arms, awkwardly balancing them.

Bookworm.

Stepping into the corridor, I waved LB towards the common room and, closing the airlock, punched in the access code. It beeped, and the panel glowed red as the cargo bay sealed.

A precaution, really. If Totto had planted another gas canister there, somehow, and we missed it.

Eyeing the lock suspiciously, I stepped back and peeked into crew quarters. The Twi'lek woman was still asleep beneath her black cloak, snoring slightly. Gently closing the door, I stood there for a moment, thinking about that blasted contract again and all that was wrong with it.

It wasn't right, but before acting, I needed answers.

Turning around, I walked into the common room and headed towards the kitchenette, where LB was waiting. Taking a few rations from the top of the pile, I set them aside for dinner and began unloading the rest into storage.

It wasn't the best food—I knew that—but it was efficient and easy to store. Exactly what I needed. Turning the little space I had here into a proper kitchen was out of the question. I would have to be out of my mind to even try. It lacked cold storage, was too small and was never meant to be used that way. Military spaceship and all of that.

Closing the storage, I waved LB into the corner and turned to the caf machine, now properly filled with a fresh caf cartridge. Placing a cup, I pushed a few buttons and the aroma of Corellian blend spread across the room.

Sighing, I reached for another cup. Someone had been woken up.

"Good morning," I said without turning. "Caf?"

"Yes, please. Two sugars, one milk," said the twi'lek woman behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder.

"I don't have either," I said, noting her sleepy face, heavy bags under her eyes and a slight shiver she hid under her black cloak. Side effects?

"You do. I picked out the universal cartridges for you," she replied, meeting my eyes.

Shrugging, I turned back to the caf machine and punched in the new order. It beeped, happily pouring the whitish drink into the cup and adding the smell of steamed milk to the air.

Grabbing both cups, I turned to the table and, putting her cup in front of her, sat on the corner seat of the sofa. With both of us here, the common room suddenly felt crowded.

"How do you feel?" I asked. "Any side effects?"

"Seems fine, just sleepy," she said and tasted the caf.

"Your hand, please," I asked, extending my own.

She obeyed without question, shifting slightly on the sofa to face me. Closing my eyes, I focused on the Force, running a basic med-scan meant for the quick field triage.

The thing I should have done first, back there in the dock. Or better yet, I should have delayed my flight and asked for medical assistance. I wasn't the Healer.

"Seems fine, but better to check in at a med station on Denon," I said, letting her hand go. "Let me know if something changes, alright?"

"Alright. What happened to Totto?" she asked, taking her hand away.

"Arrested by Judicials. I don't think he will see freedom any time soon," I said with a shrug.

"He has his ways," she said slowly. "He will be free in a day or two, and by the end of the week, my bounty will be listed."

"What for?" I asked, studying her emotions. They were mute, resigned.

"Breach of contract, as he said," she said with a shrug. "He promised to sell me to the brothel if I ever talk."

"Slavery is forbidden," I said, taking my first sip of caf.

She laughed humourlessly, took a sip of her caf, and then looked back at me.

"He deals with Hutts," she said. "And has someone in the Judicial Department to keep it quiet."

"Still, you have rights," I said, spinning the cup in my hands. "He couldn't just disappear you."

"Only if the Clan has your back," she said flatly, radiating sorrow in the Force.

"I have your contract," I said, reaching for the datapad and sliding it across the table. "I can terminate it in Denon."

She carefully placed her cup aside, reaching for the datapad with shaky fingers. Silence stretched as she read the file. And read more.

It had taken me many reads to understand some of it myself. This contract was slavery all but in name. Sure, there were obligations on the Contractor, but payment wasn't one of them—only food and shelter—and it was the Clan that received payments on her behalf, once per year.

Carefully placing the datapad on the table, she looked up at me, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Don't terminate it," she begged me, raw with a mix of hope and fear. "I will repay you back every credit!"

"Explain," I said, sighing and eyeing the datapad.

What did I miss?

"If you terminate it, I will be forced to go back to Ryloth, and only Bright Lands are waiting for me there," she said, and I massaged my eyes, setting my cup aside.

The fuck?

"Are you a convicted criminal?" I asked, recalling whatever I had remembered about Ryloth. It wasn't much. I needed to read that file yesterday.

"I will be, if I return," she said with conviction I didn't have.

"Why?" I asked, taking my hand away from my eyes and looking up at her.

"For disobeying the clan leader," she said, not really answering. "And mothering a child of the clan enemy."

I looked her over again, recalling her age from the contract. Thirty-five standard years. She didn't look a day older than twenty-five, and yet she had a daughter who was almost an adult herself. A child of the clan's enemy. Apparently.

The fuck is this? Santa Barbara?

"Taala, your daughter. Why are you afraid for her fate?" I asked, slightly spinning my cup.

"Because the person who drew my contract is still on the council," she said.

"It sounds personal," I said, looking up from the cup.

"It is," she replied. "He was supposed to be my husband."